Highlights of Landon Donovan's career

Updated 4:39 PM ET, Fri May 23, 2014

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – In not just a personal highlight, but one of the greatest moments in American soccer, Landon Donovan, foreground left, celebrates with teammate Edson Buddle after scoring an injury-time goal against Algeria, propelling the United States into the knockout round of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Hide Caption

1 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – In 2012, Donovan led the United States to a 5-1 victory with his hat trick against Scotland during a friendly in Jacksonville, Florida.

Hide Caption

2 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – United States soccer fans went wild when Donovan scored the second goal to put his squad up 2-0 in a Confederations Cup game against vaunted Brazil in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2009. It wouldn't be enough, as there's a reason Brazil was vaunted. The United States would eventually fall 2-3.

Hide Caption

3 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – During a 2009 World Cup qualifier in Chicago, Donovan notched the goal to sink Honduras 2-1 and punch the United States' ticket to the World Cup. He would earn Honda's Player of the Year and Player of the Decade designations that year.

Hide Caption

4 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – On January 19, 2008, in an international friendly in Carson, California, Donovan set the U.S. all-time scoring record, 35, with a penalty kick against Sweden.

Hide Caption

5 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – Donovan celebrates at Chicago's Soldier Field after a 2-1 win over archrival Mexico during the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. The United States won the Cup with the help of four goals from Donovan, who would tie Eric Wynalda as the club's all-time leading scorer that year.

Hide Caption

6 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – Donovan slides the ball around the outreached leg of Ecuador's Giovanny Espinoza in a 2007 international friendly match in Tampa, Florida. It was one of his three goals in the 3-1 win.

Hide Caption

7 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – The United States needed a win over Costa Rica during a 2005 World Cup qualifier in Salt Lake City. Here, Donovan celebrates his second goal in the 3-0 win.

Hide Caption

8 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – In a 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match against a rather weak Cuba team, Donovan put on one of the most impressive performances of his career, burying a record-tying four goals in the United States' 5-0 win.

Hide Caption

9 of 10

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career10 photos

Highlights of Landon Donovan's career – It's one thing to beat Mexico in a friendly or World Cup qualifier, but in the World Cup's Round of 16? Elation. From left to right, Tony Sanneh, Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna and Landon Donovan celebrate McBride's first goal in the match. Donovan would later frost the cake, making it 2-0 and sending the United States to the 2002 quarterfinals against Germany, which they lost controversially.